The USA Local Advisory Group will include individuals drawn from the international cricket community, USA cricket community and the USA sports industry.
Former USA pacer Usman Shuja is one of the individual who was included in the advisory group.
Background
On 26 June the International Cricket Council (ICC) Board, exercising its power under Article 2.7 of the ICC’s Articles of Association, unanimously decided to suspend the membership of the USA Cricket Association (USACA).
This decision was made after consideration of the findings set out in an ICC Review Group report to the Board on the status and activities of USACA, and followed a meeting with USACA representatives during the ICC Annual Conference week.
The suspension means that USACA’s ICC benefits, including both funding and the right to determine whether cricket matches and events staged in the US should have the status of approved or disapproved cricket, have been discontinued. The ICC currently holds this right of approval in accordance with Section 32.2 of the ICC Operating Manual.
However, the ICC Board, in determining that the players should not suffer due to this suspension, allowed the USA cricket team to participate in the recently completed ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier 2015 in Ireland and Scotland. The USA U19 team was also permitted to play in the recent ICC Americas U19 Championship in Bermuda.
In order to have its suspension lifted and its membership reinstated, USACA is required to demonstrate to the satisfaction of the ICC Board, by reference to detailed and specific evidence, that conditions relating to governance, finance and its cricket activities have been addressed and remedied in full.
Update
An update on both recent and planned activity in the USA is outlined below:
· The ICC Chief Executive, David Richardson, has assumed responsibility for monitoring USACA’s efforts to satisfy the reinstatement conditions. In this regard he will be meeting with the current USACA Board on 11 August, and will report back to the ICC Board in October.
· A USA Local Advisory Group* is being established by the ICC to support the development of a meaningful strategy for the future promotion and development of cricket in the USA.
· As part of this strategy development process, and in order to provide information and assist the unification of the USA cricket community, a gathering of a broad range of stakeholders is planned to take place in the USA at the end of August.
· The ICC (Americas Development Programme) will be staging the ICC Americas Cricket Combine in Indianapolis from September 18 – 27. This initiative provides the best Associate and Affiliate players within the Americas Region – including the USA – with the opportunity to be selected in an ICC Americas representative team to play in the West Indies Cricket Board’s (WICB) Nagico Super 50 tournament in January 2016.
*USA Local Advisory Group
The USA Local Advisory Group will include individuals drawn from the international cricket community, USA cricket community and the USA sports industry.
The group will be coordinated by the ICC, including members of the ICC’s Global Development team, headed by Tim Anderson.
From time to time additional people will be added to the group, including female representation to advise on the development of Women’s cricket in the USA. The group currently comprises the following from the USA cricket community:
· Usman Shuja – recently retired USA national team player
· Dr Vincent Adams – USACA appointed liaison to the ICC
· Jagan Jagannathan – Chairman of the American Cricket Federation (ACF)
· Brian Walters – former Central West Region representative and local youth development coordinator
And the USA sports industry:
· Jim Isch – former Chief Operating Officer of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)
· Nigel Melville – Chief Executive Officer of USA Rugby
· Patrick Sandusky – Chief Communications and Public Affairs Officer of the US Olympic Committee (USOC)